Sunday, October 30, 2011

Two years back, much contrary to the festive mood around Diwali, I almost landed up handicapped to my already battered body. In the midst of cracking lights and sounds, I let the cracker lose in my hand. The sound was so strong that after two days of having numb ears, I approached a doctor only to know that in my left ear, there is a perforation in my ear drum. It was a disaster. I felt like that the bomb that blasted in my hand went out once again, this time shattering myself with a big thunderous fear. After thorough check up, doctor advises me on operation. The artificial membrane has to be fixed and it would cost me around 13 grand. Even though, I was not having enough money, I almost signed the papers. On my friend’s advice, I hesitated. What if during operation something goes wrong? What if I never recover properly after operation? What if........? I was taunted more by these questions of fear.

Sometimes, miracles do happen. I went to AIIMS and to my utter surprise, doctors there advised me to not to worry. The membranes inside will grow up on its own. It takes six weeks to heal fully. It was the happiest thing I ever did I felt. A friend in AIIMS helped me to complete the medical check-up. It was a good lesson for me to not to get bamboozled by doctors who are greedy for money, or to say that one should always look for government hospitals. I would have done the unthinkable if I agreed on operation. My memorable Diwali, lasted for a month and half, and I am more than happy to have no problem at all in my ear.

And this year, under the thundering sounds and cracking lights of diwali, unlike few years back, I was standing in front of His Majesty the king in Delhi Embassy. If I have missed everything in royal wedding, king and queen’s audience just after few days of wedding, I can never ask for anything more. It was my second audience with the king in two years.

Unlike wearing the cottons in my ear, this time, after diwali, I went to the college wearing the shirt gifted by the king.

“Remembering that I’ll be dead soon is the most important tool I’ve ever encountered to help me make the big choices in life.” ...excerpts from Mr. Jobs famous speech at Stanford.

And much true to the above quotes by Steve Jobs, and will be revealed in his upcoming biography which will be going to floor on 24th October, Jobs philosophy kind of made him to achieve so much in his life filled with so much drama of failure and of course success.

Steve Jobs is said to have confided to Apple CEO John Sculley that he expect to die too young. And that he has to do accomplish so many to leave the mark in the history.

It is also said that Steve Jobs delayed to go under the knife for the treatment of cancer. He eventually had a treatment but couldn’t live for long. However, man someone like Steve who fought the failure and had the last laugh with a successful Apple, there is just more to the legacy left behind than to get inspired and actually living your day as the last day before one dies. As in his speech, there is nothing one wouldn’t give up to do the best things one would do to before one dies.

His philosophy about living everyday as the last day, is what I often saw in the books or in article often credited to the quotes of Gandhi.

“Live everyday as if one would die tomorrow and learn as if one would live forever”

And looking at Steve’s accomplishments, his innovations which served as much inspiring and motivating for many, it kind of makes one wonder that there is little doubt that the mantra worked so much wonderfully to him. He had often lauded the philosophy even to an extent of crediting his achievements for understanding and following the principle strictly. I was watching his speech at Stanford and was so much inspired and touched by the words of him living everyday as his last. It is human tendency and the fact that given a limited time, one would always prefer to finish or do the thing that which is most important and importantly it makes one to do it perfectly so that one wouldn’t get a chance to do it again. No wonder, Steve achieved so much that which shall live in the lives of people to remember him and his stories of achievement. It triggers one to the next level of understanding the preciousness of time while one is alive.

Steve Jobs life will be now be on shelf in the form of biographical book by Walter Isaacson who is said to have interviewed Steve Jobs for over 40 interviews over two years before Steve died on October 5. And to add more, Sony is more likely to make the movie out his life. It will be fascinating to watch and actually get more about the man who lived to shrink the computer and eventually make it portable. The Sony studio also made the movie. The Social Network, which was based on Mark Zuckerberg.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

My admiration for Shah Rukh Khan is beyond his films. Of course i admit, i grew up along with my friends watching Hindi movies, and later in high schools, most of the movies i watched were Shah Rukh Khan’s. The romance of course catches our hormonal growth. There is always this wonderful romance in his movies. However, there was little that i knew about this guy than this movies. Around few weeks in college, seniors in a special screening in our own graphics room, i watched Annie. Though the movie was shot entirely in our college campus, School of Planning and Architecture, then the Indian Institute of Architecture, Shah Rukh comes off in middle of the movie in one or two scenes. No one could imagine that this guy used to that small actor who played literally unknown characters in the movie. In short, he was basically no one, and now in his career of 20 years, he is the richest and most successful actor in India.

Success, and Shah Rukh are so much synonymous to me. And with more and more challenging things rolling around life, and life growing up to face the harsh realities, his life pompous with rich, success and glory inspires me. It makes if anyone like him who literally from no one to Shah Rukh Khan saw so much success through one’s own intelligence and hard work, there’s just need of few ounces of luck to push for more. Today he is the brand in himself. Nothing sales so much as he gets.

http://www.realbollywood.com

Ever since, the trailer of Ra.One was released, i have wanted so much to go and watch it. And the wish now seems to be coming very soon. Ra.One possibly the India's most expensive movie so far is going to be released on 26th October in both 2D and 3D. Diwali has so far seen most successful movies of the actor. The movie’s trailers looks nothing less than Hollywood superhero movies. And to get the level up to Hollywood movies, the technicians who worked in the movie are mostly experienced Hollywood technicians. It truly is a treat for me.

As for now, just waiting and hoping that Shah Rukh Khan’s Ra.One will be as good as his other movies if not the best.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Faraway behind the curls of joyous clouds, behind the beautiful mountains capped with pristine snow, behind the standing trees of mother green, behind the oceans where the flying birds disappear, behind the curling roads which leads to many other curling roads, and within the little Himalayan kingdom whose treasured history is filled with reign of gracious monarchs, where peace have always prevailed to make its imminence embedded in not just religion but also a daily affairs of its loyal subjects, history shall began yet another imperial chapter with the pageantry glorified in the chapter of history with not just historic but a heartfelt occasion with the holy marriage of our King. Once again, thousands of Bhutanese will rejoice upon the beaconing of not only historic but also a heart touching fairytale of royal wedding ending towards the new dawn in the annals of Bhutan’s ever harmonious history. The occasion as royal as such, marks another milestone in the reign our humble king, and to be actually blessed with beautiful and humble queen, can there be anything sacred than such occasion to us as a loyal and happy citizens of Bhutan.

As I sit down to scribble this felicitations, how much I wish that if I could paint this ever treasured possession of my heart to be able to pay my utmost respect and prayers for the harmonious union on the canvas that which shall never wrinkle and always be there in life as the dear achievement any loyal citizen is remembered with. Human history is not short of stories of love and thus the tranquil it has heralded upon, but never were an occasion where I could be much a part of than this Royal Wedding which insights not just extraordinary feelings but a historic great. Ergo even though I am faraway in the land miles away from the peaceful wedding hub, Drukyul, with much joy, I celebrate this heavenly feeling of excitement.

It seems to be only few days ago when His Majesty, much to the delight of Bhutan, announced the desire to marry Jitsuen Pema, then the unknown woman whom our king described as young, warm and kind in heart and character, the qualities together with the wisdom that will come with age and experience which will make her a great servant to the nation. And that through the union, he shall have a queen who supports, works and serve the people and country. Time in the merrymaking of such joyous tidings, nation once again came into a overwhelming mood to look forward to the much awaited moment that most of us has not even realized that it’s been almost five months. And as royal merit respect, I respectfully thank His Majesty for letting one forget the daily toiling of life and anticipate merrily for this occasion.

Truly, by the certain graceful deeds in the last few months of our queen, Ashi Jitsuen Pema, there is little doubt (which would of course be so much unholy even to think of one) left in us, loyal citizens, of whose joy our king, humbled as People’s King concerns. She embodies the perfect human being saddled with qualities which are best described as cheerful, beautiful, supportive and humble. In the times of such modernized era, when fashion intrudes into everyone’s heart and soul, Her Majesty the queen, still embodies the perfect character of cultured woman, an epitome of a soul nurtured with one’s rooted culture and nourished with wisdom of heavenly earth. It is with utmost pride that we can continue to live in Bhutan and serve the king with a new hope of harmony in the country where the king is supported with an ever intelligent queen who has not just the wisdom highly noted but also a care and love for king and the people.

And well, to describe the king and his indulgent qualities, no amount of words would suffice to describe it. It can sometime be argued so much without doubt that it is something that should be felt and be rejoiced of than trying to describe it in words. Heavenly happiness and peace through the benevolent reign of certain king worshiped as next to god, it can only be felt. And to be blessed with a union between such two, there is nothing so extraordinary happening on earth than this one. It is a time for us to pray for everlasting happiness upon our country.

Nation shall sing the song of happiness, unity, loyalty and sovereignty. Monasteries shall lead the beads of prayers which thus shall be heard by the thousands residing in high and low, plain and narrow, and it shall be lavished with greater wishes and prayers. Offices will remain closed with the time graced to mark the occasion as nation embarks on new history, schools shall dance to the tunes of happiness and excitements around. For once and all, Bhutan shall rejoice in the glory of our King’s marriage solemnized in Heaven. It heralds new beginning, a journey that we begin with the happy royal wedding. Tomorrow when the history is read, let this occasion be one of the most exciting and the extraordinary events in the pages of our peaceful history.

As for me and my wishes, a heartfelt prayers that I am conveying, I shall ignite it with vigor enough to crawl upon the curling clouds, climb over the white snow mountains, run along the great Indian plains, row over the waves of oceans, pass across the standing trees of green earth, defy the torrent winds and thus be there together with you all’s prayers that it shall be hidden in the folds of the holy scarf His Majesty would wear. Thus it shall console me of the fact that I am unfortunately not around Bhutan to be a part of the time called upon to witness the greatest event in our glorious history.

Monday, October 3, 2011

In the haste of last minute work, when I and my friends rushed our submission throughout the night till the midday, I came back to my hostel only to stand in front of the room without the room key. In that tiring and sleepless work, I forgot to get my key from my friend who left in my room to complete the work while some of us went ahead to take print out of the work. So when people are tired, we don’t remain the commanders of things around anymore. I regretted to have not remembered to ask the key and it made me feel sick with self disgust. I couldn’t control my emotion when all that I needed badly was a sound sleep for certain time.

I looked for anything that could allow me to break the lock after I called my friend several times. He tells me next day that he had fallen asleep right after the college. Finally I succeeded in breaking into my own room and to my utter disgust, my room was dirty, in fact so dirty with trashes of papers and glue. We made the model in the morning and since, room has not been used which meant it was not cleaned. After shoving off the paper pieces, empty glue containers and thermocol, I dozed off.

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At around dinner time, I was woken up my friends much to the dismay of my peaceful sleep. After washing my face properly which I did not commit to in the morning, I headed towards the community center which is located few distance away from my hostel. I had to get some money and I wanted to eat something good after having worked whole night. On the way back to my hostel, I dropped on the vendor who was selling the ‘locks and keys’. As I stood looking over the locks and keys hanging on the rack, this small kid came running there like what shopkeepers normally do on seeing some customer about to buy their goods.

I picked up a lock and asked him the price. He hammered Rs. 70 which I managed to bring down to Rs. 50. There wasn’t much hesitation or bargaining frustration in him which most Indian vendors possesses. Few months ago, I went to buy shirt in Sarojini market, and this young man began pestering me to buy a goggle. To fan him off, I tried my own strategy of agreeing to buy the goggle at Rs. 100 which he charged Rs.690. and there I was after so much pestering from the guy with the goggle at hundred rupees.

I was not so clear and clean with my head. The eye lids were still giving in. As I climbed back on rickshaw, the rickshaw paddler asked me how much I paid for the ‘lock and key’. I was checking the lock meanwhile when I found out that it was not working properly. I went back and to my utter disgust, the vendor-boy was replaced by an elderly man. He was astonished to see the lock which he felt that he didn’t sell to anyone. It did not take so long before we could clear out the situation. He was apparently unaware that someone disguised him and sold the good to me, and that con man ran away with the money.

This is not the first time I have fallen in such pity swindles in front of such people. Someone selling the locks left his own shop unlocked, so I couldn’t do anything than to claim that I already purchased the items.

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This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.